Trentemøller – Into The Great Wide Yonder

Anders Trentemøller, the Copenhagen-based multi-instrumentalist and producer, has delivered a moody, atmospheric sophomore album that will impress lovers of his first, 2007’s The Last Resort.

For those perhaps more in tune to Trentemøller’s earlier club-based house productions released on San Fran’s Naked Music and Steve Bug’s Poker Flat Recordings however, Into The Great Wide Yonder may disappoint, for it signals a further – and perhaps final – departure from that earlier sound.

It continues to great effect the Dane’s love affair with ethereal, at times melancholic soundscapes and film-score-like productions, and refuses to be pigeonholed into a particular genre. The first single – the brooding Sycamore Feeling featuring the vocals of Marie Fisker – is lush, both dark yet hopeful and demonstrates Trentemøller’s extraordinary talents in the studio.

Speaking with ITM recently, Trentemøller explained Into The Great Wide Yonder was an opportunity for him to reconnect with the live instrumentation he grew up with while playing in bands.

“I actually used the computer much more of a simple recorder this time, so the whole album is quite different to the electronic sound of the first album,” he says. “I’ve tried to bring on a bit more of an organic, warm sound [which] was actually just a part of a natural development for me.”

“I was starting (sic) playing in rock bands before I started in electronic music and somehow I was dreaming about playing the instruments myself again and not only sitting with a mouse and a computer and just programming everything but actually using my hands again and getting this physical feeling back into my music.”

“Even if it sounds a lot more analogue, all the mixing and all the editing has been done in the computer. I’m not afraid of using the computer at all but it was just a way for me to achieve a sound that was not so electronic.”

Indeed, this album is aimed squarely for the living room and would sound quite out of space on the dancefloor. Anders is, in the opinion of this humble hack, destined to further develop in coming years as a producer of film scores, such is his meticulous attention to detail in production and obvious love of dreamy soundscapes.

Even the man himself admits that this is not an “easy” album, evidenced by the fact that he is not heading out to play it live (accompanied by his 7 piece band) until October.

“This album needs a little bit more time to grow on people,” he says, “because it is not an album that you put on and when you put it on first time and think ‘wow’. It is an album that needs more time.”

He’s right; after a few listens one starts to get the album. It’s perhaps one meant to be listened to in its entirety, as each track blends nicely into the next. In terms of feeling and emotion, Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider Go!! is full of energy and reminds me of old surfing movie soundtracks, while Shades Of Marble is eerie and melancholic, but brilliant nonetheless.

While we may never see another Le Champagne from Anders Trentemøller, it’s clear he’s maturing as a musician and it will be on stage – and not behind the decks – where in years to come we’re likely see his best work. Into The Great Wide Yonder shows he’s on track, and is an album well worth picking up.

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